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President Donald Trump on Thursday responded to a legislative development in the U.S. House of Representatives aimed at halting the war in Iran.
“Yesterday, in a meaningless vote, the House voted, 4 bad Republicans and all of the Dumocrats, to limit my War Powers, right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” President Trump said in a statement on Truth Social.
The House passed the resolution on Wednesday, with Democrats voting as a unified front. The vote also included four Republicans: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Tom Barrett (Mich.), Warren Davidson (Ohio), and Thomas Massie (Ky.).
“Who would do such an unpatriotic thing,” the president added in his statement. “They know where the negotiations stand. The Democrats are fueled by Trump Derangement Syndrome. They would rather have our Country fail than give me another, of many, victories. The four Republicans, that’s a whole other story – They’re GRANDSTANDERS! They should be ashamed of themselves.”
This measure is a concurrent resolution, according to TIME. This means that it requires approval from both chambers, but does not need the signature of the sitting U.S. president. Essentially, this means that it is more of a symbolic statement than a legislative action that has lawful force behind it.
However, the measure reflects the political sentiment among lawmakers in May, when the Senate agreed to advance a different measure to limit the war in Iran, according to The New York Times. The vote this week seems to suggest that some Republicans are increasingly willing to break with the president when it comes to the Iran conflict.
Rep. Massie, who has often drawn the ire of President Trump, wrote on X of the resolution, “The People’s House is sending a message: end this war.”
Rep. Barrett, another one of the Republicans who voted in favor of the congressional resolution this week to limit the war, explained in a statement posted on social media that Congress has the “exclusive authority” under the U.S. Constitution to declare and authorize war.
“That authority has expired, and my support of this resolution tonight is consistent with my belief that it is time for Congress to decide the scope of the mission and the appropriate limits on the use of force in Iran,” he said.
If a joint resolution were to pass both chambers of Congress – unlike the concurrent measure that was voted on this week – it would most likely be sent directly to President Trump’s desk, just like any other legislative action. He would likely veto it, as he has already indicated his opposition to such a congressional action in his statement.
If such a resolution made it to the president’s desk and was indeed vetoed, Congress would need to override that action with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers.
